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Thousands of cyclists take to the road every weekend with the sole aim of covering hundreds of miles on their bikes, for charity or just for the hell of it. Now, with the Tour of Britain, riders can travel the very routes set out for the pros. Graham Hutson completed stage one

It’s hard to mistake the chirp of a police siren, especially when it sounds
right next to your ear, and for a split second I thought the game was up —
the emulation of our sporting heroes was about to end.

We were travelling fast, inches from each other’s wheels — one mistake, one
wrong move and it would have been over for the lot of us. And then I
remembered, I was on a pedal cycle and my Garmin said I was doing 23mph. So
what could the police motorcyclist want? More to the point, what would
Bradley do?

We hadn’t quite got to the point of “digging deep”, as it is known in cycling,
when you ignore all the signals that your body is throwing at you, the
burning in the legs, the cramps, the lights before your eyes, and keep
riding — that bit would come a bit later — but we weren’t exactly holding
back.

The four of us, Mark, Ben, Andy and myself, were riding the public version of
stage one of the Tour of Britain which, with the likes of Bradley Wiggins
and Mark Cavendish competing, was due to sweep along the same East Anglian
roads the very next day. It is the British equivalent of France’s notorious
E’Tape events, where amateur riders get the chance to take on the (often
most difficult) alpine stages of the Tour de France.

But this was far from an alpine stage — it was more or less flat — a couple of
‘category four’ climbs, barely noticeable. Like riding over a speed hump.

So we rode hard anyway, not least because the four of us had misread the start
time and arrived an hour late as everything was being packed up. We promised
to ease back a bit when we caught up with the stragglers, which we did after
about 30 miles but by then we were into a rhythm and soon they were behind
us. With no wind and the sun belting down, there wasn’t much other than the
traffic to slow us down. Then the police motorbikes appeared.

This wasn’t my first sportive, but it was the first time I had decided to heed
the advice of a nutritionist. Sharmain from Maxifuel had informed me that as
a rule I, and most other cyclists, don’t drink anywhere near enough fluids
on these rides. By weighing myself before and after a previous trip, I had
discovered roughly how much fluid I was likely to lose on the Tour Ride, and
the quantity was astonishing. Over the course of 50 miles I had lost more
than 1.5 kilo in fluids. Therefore on a 120-mile course I would need to
consume almost four litres, depending on the weather. And it was forecast to
be hot. This equated to approximately 700ml of fluid per hour. Water
wouldn’t cut it — the fluid needs to contain electrolytes to replace salt,
carbohydrates, and all sorts of key ingredients to replace vitamins and
minerals lost during exercise. It is this fine balance that provides the
professionals with the sustenance to maintain speeds and accomplish feats
hitherto unheard of on a bike.

As well as the drink I would need at least one energy bar per hour. I had
already eaten a hearty breakfast of porridge, croissants, and a carb-rich
dinner the night before. The steady consumption of my recommended products
should ensure I had enough energy to stay the distance and — as importantly
— feel sort of OK after the ride, or at least not collapse out of
exhaustion.

So when the first police bike announced its arrival, we were flying. He sped
past, pulled up across a junction and stopped the traffic to give us a clear
path through. Then one of his colleagues came bombing past and held up the
traffic at the next junction. This was as close to what it must be like to
ride in a breakaway on the pro tour as we would ever likely get.

By the first feed station at Southwold, 50 miles in, the outriders had gone,
riding off into the sun to practise their cycle race training on some other
riders. This was the first of three feed stations on the route, allowing us
to stock up on drink and bars. The professionals don’t need these stops,
because they have team cars to keep them supplied.

Even with the recommended fluids and food, a ride of 120 miles isn’t easy.
When you miss a turning and go three miles out of your way, saved only by a
postman telling you the correct route is “a couple of miles back that way”
it becomes slightly more difficult. But this is the way of the sportive, as
long-distance rides like this are known, and tens of thousands of
participants every year will testify. Finding your way via some hastily
erected arrows is part and parcel of an event.

The Tour of Britain has opened its routes to the public since 2009, and since
then, around 15,000 have taken part. According to the officials at the
start, around 600 had started the East Anglian stage that we were riding.

As with any endurance activity, be it cycling, running, swimming, hiking,
sitting in a bath of baked beans, there comes a time when you zone out,
retreat into your own thoughts. This for me is usually when I’m about to hit
“the wall,” the point where I don’t think I can go on, when I feel there is
nothing left for my legs to give, when the grass on roundabouts begins to
look like a nice big cosy bed.

At times like this the emotions begin to creep in. At first I think about how
the likes of Bradley Wiggins manage to do this for months on end, from one
tour to another, then I get angry with Andy who has been driving the train
because he could have gone 1mph slower and then I think of home and my
intended and my cat and I think of my mum and dad and family and on this
occasion I then remembered that they were waiting up the road. Because that
was where my mum lives. And sure enough, there they were, in front of a
banner hand-painted by my little niece and nephew, Abbie and Josh.

After the family stop, where my brother-in-law supplied bottles of ice cold
water and painkillers and I was treated to plenty of hugs and encouragement,
the final 30 miles were a doddle (OK, a bit easier).

Which kind of makes you realise that you can take as many sports drinks and
energy bars as you like, but nothing spurs you on more than the support of
the people by the side of the road, especially when it’s your own flesh and
blood doing the cheering.

• Graham’s stats (Garmin Edge 500)

Ride length: 130.7 miles

Time: 6:38hrs

Heart rate: 145bpm avg, 175bpm max

Max speed: 35.8mph

Average speed: 19.7mph

Elevation: 2,779ft

•130-mile sportive: energy requirements

Take enough food, usually in the form of energy bars or gels such as
Maxifuel’s Viper range, to reach the next feed station

Fill two x 750ml bottles with suitable drink, aim to consume by first feed
station

This should break down to approximately 500ml per hour, or a couple of sips
every 10-15 minutes

Refill food and drinks at feed stations

For the first hour, assuming you have eaten a carbohydrate-rich breakfast,
only electrolyte drinks are necessary

Aim to take on 20-60g of carbs per hour, such as Maxifuel Viper products

After the ride, consume whey protein-rich recovery drink or if unavailable
chocolate milkshake and banana

•Preparing the bike

Check tyres - pressure, condition

Chain - ensure it is adequately lubricated, cassette is in good condition

Ensure all bolts and screws and firmly tightened

Check brakes, cables and brake blocks

•History of the Tour of Britain

1945 - Started as the Victory Marathon

Race given various names in subsequent years, including Tour of Britain

1958 - Became the Milk Race, ran until 1993

Open only to amateurs between 1960 and 1984

Open to both amateurs and pros between 1984 and 1993

1987 - Parallel race called the Kellogg’s Tour started

1998 - PruTour combined both races, ran until 1999.

Race cancelled after 1999 event because of serious accidents, including
a motorist driving head-on into the peloton and a police motorcyclist being
killed in a collision with a car.

2004 - Revived as the Tour of Britain

2009 - Public Tour Rides initiated, more than 15,000 cyclists have now
taken part